My dad recently got back from Iraq. He saw a lot of MRAP style vehicles, and even rode in them a few times. He keeps telling me he wants me to find a model of one. I’ve looked and all I’ve found is a resin kit. Any chances that anyone will release one in plastic? I don’t think he cares what version it is either.
Erik
Your chances are probably pretty slim right now, I am a Vet myself and like to build modern vehicles I saw in Country, but it seems like the model industry is about 5 years behind the actual Defense industry meaning it usually takes that long to get a plastic kit, the Stryker was first used in hate back in 03’ and we just got our first plastic kit a year or so ago, just to give you an Idea, I know Cromwell is releasing the Six Wheeled Cougar and I saw on here the other day someone is releasing the Buffalo so thats always an option in resign , I want one to but in 1/72 Im thinking about scratchbuilding one.
As you may know, the MRAP is a family of vehicles. There are 4 major ones being tested/used in Iraq now. As metioned, the 6-wheeled Cougar is available from Cromwell Models in resin. The most common, and what I think is the one the Army will go with, is the Maxx Pro version made by Navstar/International Harvester. As for models, if any come out in plastic, I think it will be either Trumpeter, Hobby Boss, or AFV Club (in that order) who makes them. We shall see.
Here are the major ones.
6 x Cougar
4 x Cougar
Caiman
Maxx Pro
The Buffalo is not an MRAP family vehicle. It is a purpose-built route clearance vehicle that was around before the MRAP program. It is based on a South African design that has been around for many years.
Lastly, Trumpeter had their M1126 model out almost as soon as the Strykers were fielded. How quickly a model comes out depends on the interest of the manufacturers. Trumpeter has been all over the Stryker from the beginning. Hopefully they (or another company) will give the same treatment to the MRAPs.
Gino, I apologize if I haven’t seen your posts but I am very happy to see you back from your deployment, Welcome home!!!
Thank you for the sentiment, but I am still in Iraq. I have at least 6 mos., maybe 9 if it stays at a 15 mos. tour, left to go. I’m getting along fine though.
Here’s what the resin Couger looks like, though you’ve probably seen this
http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/newkitnews/cromwell.htm
With all respect I have to disagree with you there I pre-ordered my Stryker when I was still on terminal leave in the Marine Corps back in December of 06, who knows how long it was in development before then because trumpeter seems to release images of the Master years before, but to my knowledge the stryker was bieng fielded in the Kurdish Sector of Iraq up north in late 03 so depending on how long the Trumpeter model was in development is unknown to me but I do know it was not in American hands until Jan 07. So thats at least 4 years before a kit gets in the mainstream modelers stash I think we can expect that from most modern kits of New vehicles in the field.
I thought it was sooner than that, maybe not. Still hope someone does the MRAP in plastic soon.
I agree, and I really wish we could get one in 1/72 but thats even more farfetched it seems, we shall see Trumpeter really seems to be dishing out the modern stuff recently.
FWIW - I travel I-26 in South Carolina daily, and for nearly two years now, I have been seeing those vehicles being hauled to the port of Charleston, though with the election and the perios maybe 3 months before, they have gone from shipments twice weekly or better to almost never.
I’ve seen these also on the same road as you, I thought they were Stryker bodies. Looked to have been a single casting.
Nope - Sorry MP, I got good views of them for some time, and cahatted about it with some friends here at work, and also a cop that patrols the area, while he wrote me a warning (!). On that dumb Futureweapons show, there was a blurb about it,a nd I think it is made in the southeast, but I do not know where.